Associate chemist vs chemistry laboratory assistant

The differences between associate chemists and chemistry laboratory assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an associate chemist has an average salary of $61,544, which is higher than the $30,971 average annual salary of a chemistry laboratory assistant.

The top three skills for an associate chemist include lab equipment, HPLC and method development. The most important skills for a chemistry laboratory assistant are lab equipment, lab safety, and chemistry lab.

Associate chemist vs chemistry laboratory assistant overview

	Associate Chemist	Chemistry Laboratory Assistant
Yearly salary	$61,544	$30,971
Hourly rate	$29.59	$14.89
Growth rate	6%	4%
Number of jobs	7,387	40,180
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 82%	Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Average age	42	44
Years of experience	-	2

What does an associate chemist do?

An Associate Chemist performs and analyzes chemical tests and procedures. They maintain the stock of drugs and ensure that they are stored in a secure place.

What does a chemistry laboratory assistant do?

Chemical Laboratory Assistants are professionals who help researchers and scientists in performing lab experiments and tests. Their tasks involve the maintenance, cleanliness, or sterilization of laboratory equipment or instruments. They perform physical or chemical laboratory tests assisting scientists in the quantitative or qualitative analyses of liquids, gaseous materials, and solids. The necessary skills and knowledge for this job include chemistry, lab reporting, chemical solutions, and safety procedures.

Associate chemist vs chemistry laboratory assistant salary

Associate chemists and chemistry laboratory assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Associate Chemist	Chemistry Laboratory Assistant
Average salary	$61,544	$30,971
Salary range	Between $39,000 And $97,000	Between $16,000 And $58,000
Highest paying City	Worcester, MA	Hartford, CT
Highest paying state	Virginia	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Alere	Pace University
Best paying industry	Energy	Education

Differences between associate chemist and chemistry laboratory assistant education

There are a few differences between an associate chemist and a chemistry laboratory assistant in terms of educational background:

	Associate Chemist	Chemistry Laboratory Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 82%	Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Most common major	Chemistry	Chemistry
Most common college	University of Southern California	Stanford University

Associate chemist vs chemistry laboratory assistant demographics

Here are the differences between associate chemists' and chemistry laboratory assistants' demographics:

	Associate Chemist	Chemistry Laboratory Assistant
Average age	42	44
Gender ratio	Male, 54.9% Female, 45.1%	Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 18.1% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 9.5% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	5%	9%

Differences between associate chemist and chemistry laboratory assistant duties and responsibilities

Associate chemist example responsibilities.

Achieve and maintain ISO 9001-2000 certification by creating and implementing policies and serving as management representative.
Utilize GC, UV/vis, FT-IR, pH meter, and titration
Assay ointments and liquids per company test methods and USP procedures.
Utilize and maintain, TLC, GC, IR, UV/VIS Spectro-photometer and Karl Fischer
Utilize GC, UV and FTIR spectroscopy for products identification of reaction of o-cresol with nitric acid.
Operate and maintain analytical instruments such as FTIR, DSC and TGA.

Chemistry laboratory assistant example responsibilities.

Comfort frighten patients and maintain an exceptionally bright professional demeanor to accomplish a procedure that makes most people very uncomfortable.
Prepare buffer solutions, separate DNA, dissect baby mice, and perform general lab procedures.
Facilitate placement and organization of equipment for new laboratory including HPLC, GC-MS, UV-VIS, and DSC.
Maintain GC/FID, GC/MS and LC/MS systems.
Purify total RNA out of scallop muscle tissue.
Maintain proper records and documentation of DNA sequencing products.

Associate chemist vs chemistry laboratory assistant skills

Common associate chemist skills

Lab Equipment, 9%
HPLC, 8%
Method Development, 6%
Ms, 4%
Product Development, 4%
Analytical Methods, 4%

Common chemistry laboratory assistant skills

Lab Equipment, 39%
Lab Safety, 13%
Chemistry Lab, 6%
Lab Experiments, 4%
Lab Reports, 3%
Analytical Chemistry, 2%

Associate Chemist vs. similar jobs

Associate Chemist related careers

Associate Chemist related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Life, Physical, and Social Science Industry
Associate Chemist
Associate Chemist vs Chemistry Laboratory Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse life, physical, and social science jobs